Why Cardinals and Robins never sing together
by hightoppsmadness
Summary: The untold story of Jason's childhood, and how it came back to haunt him, love him, and mourn him. This story has many references to the comics, but has the movie as the main content. Rated M for lemons and violence.
1. The cruel beginnings

**Why you never hear a robin sing with a cardinal**

**a fanfiction by Hightoppsmadness**

It was years ago, as Jason recalled, since he had seen her. She was so young, and so was he. They hadn't been in love. No, quite the opposite. She was a fierce girl with a harsh silver tongue and a right hook that could make you see heaven. He had been a boy when they had first met, even before he had met Bruce Wayne. They were street urchins together, fighting to stay alive in their broken homes.

Her name was Rozalin Mercer. Her hair was red, but it was not very long, because her mother would have her grow it out, then sell it to wig makers illegally for drug money. Her dad was in jail on false charges of manslaughter. He took the fall for his wife. He was the only honest man in Rozalin's family. She was shorter than he was, and since he had been a small kid, he rubbed it in as best as he could. Her eyes were so blue, they looked like ice against the black of her long lashes.

Back then, he was powerless to help himself, let alone her. They lived next door to each other, in a shit hole apartment building. The beatings her mother gave her started just after his mother, her best friend, died of a drug overdose. His father was always too busy working for Two- Face to get a hold of him, but Rozalin's mother was a bit less busy, and Rozalin was a bit slower. He could always tell when she was being beat. Her yelps of pain would make him cringe. Her bruises were always hidden, though. Always on the back or thighs. Jason had comforted her in those days.

"Don't worry," he would hold her while she cried. "Things will get better. We'll get out of this."

"Maybe you will," Rozalin would sob. "But I'm useless. At least you can steal hubcaps. I can't even do that!"

A few weeks later, he had seen the Batmobile. He had his trusty tire iron, and Rozalin was only a few yards away, hiding behind the dumpster. He hadn't even known she was there at the time. He had just finished the job when he heard the voice of his savior.

"Unbelievable," he had said.

Jason had looked up from his work, and dropped the tire iron at the sight of Batman, pursing his lips at him. He hadn't expected him to want Jason to come with him. He hadn't remembered to mention his best friend. He forgot to save Rozalin.


	2. Unresolved resolutions

It was years before he saw Rozalin again. She was about sixteen, and he was just getting the start of his violent streak going. Bruce had taken him to a business meeting for Wayne Enterprises, and he had caught sight of her. Apparently, her advanced intellect had finally paid off. The foster system had stepped in about three years after Bruce had taken him in, and a wealthy entrepreneur had volunteered to adopt her. Her red hair was long and curly, like silky waves, and her business suit hugged her developing curves in all the right places. She looked much different from the beaten, broken, hopeless girl he had left in the slums. She was a successful young woman with a chance now. During the meeting, he had stared at her, unashamed, until she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Her soft lips curved in a small smile, and he blushed, embarrassed beyond belief. Here was the Robin, letting his attention wander to the vision of a passing songbird. He inwardly smirked at his choice of words.

When the meeting ended, he strode over to her. She was even prettier up close, and it took all of his strength to be smooth in front of her.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she asked as she gazed out the window to the filling courtyard below. "Since you left."

"Rozalin, I'm sorry I left." Jason furrowed his brow, distraught by the sadness in her voice.

"Don't be. Things worked out for the best. I'm learning how to fix my problems, and I can help other people now." she turned to him, a warm smile on her lips. "I've forgiven you long ago. It's not like Batman could have taken us both home. It's not like Bruce had seen me hiding there."

A chill ran down Jason's spine. "So you know."

"Yes, Jason, I know. But don't worry. I won't tell. We all have our secrets to keep, and that will just be one of them." She wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace, and Jason responded by hugging her back. It was like nothing ever happened.

"Um, I wanted to ask," Jason shuffled his feet on the floor. "Do you want to go see a movie sometime? With me, I mean."

"Like a date?" she tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah. Exactly like a date." he blushed deep pink, and she tucked a stray strand of red hair behind her ear.

"Sure. Tomorrow sound good?"

Jason looked up at her. "Of course! When should I pick you up?"

Rozalin thought about this for a moment. "Seven thirty sounds good." A man with graying hair called her name. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow night then." she waved goodbye, leaving him in a daze of wonder. Why had he ever thought she had cooties back when they were best friends?

Bruce had seen the interaction between them and smiled to himself. It looked like things were finally going right for that misunderstood boy. Jason approached him with a prideful smile he hadn't seen since he had taken down the Riddler on his first mission as Robin.

"Got a hot date?" Bruce arched an eyebrow at Jason.

"Yeah I do! Tomorrow night at seven thirty." Jason glanced down at the floor. "She forgave me for forgetting her in that shit hole. She wants to move on. That's great, but I was expecting a punch to the face at the look she gave me when we first walked in."

"Just accept it for what it is and don't look into it too much. It'll give you a headache. Trust me on this one." Bruce smiled at him, thinking not only of how he arranged for miss Rozalin to be given to a good home, but of how Jason was handling it well.

That night, Jason was distracted from his duties as Robin. A giddy feeling fluttered in his stomach while he roundhouse kicked a muggers gut, thinking of how good Rozalin had looked in those heels. Bruce called to him to bring him back to the matter at hand, a heist being pulled by Poison Ivy.

"Robin, where is your head?" Batman snapped his fingers in front of Robin's face.

"Huh, what? Oh, yeah, Poison Ivy. Got it." Robin dived in before Batman's cry of "Wait!" could reach his ears.

Vines wrapped around Robin in seconds, and as he struggled, the vines tightened their grip, turning to vices. Batman leaped from his hiding place, batarang in hand, and tried helping Robin get free. But the vines dropped before he could get to them. They turned to see Poison Ivy fighting another woman. She was not as voluptuous as Ivy, but she was more proficient at using what she had to her advantage, a pair of knives in her hands. The curved and serrated edges of the blades cut Ivy deep, and her speed was unmatched. Leather made her tight black pants shine, and the red fishnet top covered in a leather jacket gave the outfit color. The small mask covered her eyes, and her long red hair whipped around as she dipped and dived around the plant controlling temptress.

The girl kicked out a thick heel and crushed Poison Ivy's nose, blood spattering everywhere. Ivy fell to the ground, and Batman glared at her in disbelief.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he asked menacingly.

"Saving your asses. Your welcome, by the way," she answered, shoving the blades into straps on her thighs. Her voice was familiar to Robin, but he couldn't put a face or name to it.

"Who are you?" he asked, a bit unsteady on his feet.

"Me?" She leaped to the top of a column, and jumped to where Batman and Robin had quietly entered. "Call me Cardinal, hot stuff. I'd like to see you in action some time. Let me know when you want to hook up, hear?"

As she disappeared into the night, Robin blushed at her blatant flirtation. He was on a roll with the ladies today. Batman looked at him and sighed. There would be no end to his bragging when that date is over.

It was the beginning of a beautiful partnership.


	3. a kiss for the kid

That morning was almost like any other. Bruce woke up quietly, then got dressed for the day. He moved silently into the hall on his way to the kitchen to have breakfast, but checked in on Jason in his room. Sometimes he would sleep until the afternoon if someone didn't bother him. But unlike any other day, Jason Todd was up and awake, shifting through his clothes, quietly mumbling.

"Having trouble finding clean clothes? I told you that Alfred isn't going to do it for you." Bruce leaned against the door frame as Jason turned to him, holding a ragged dingy T- shirt with some underground band on it.

"No, these are clean. I just... I don't know what to wear. She's my best friend. But when we knew each other, we didn't have much. And now she's a ward to a businessman, like me. But she wears the suit so much better. It's like she belongs with them, the investors, the stock traders, the high class people. I don't fit in. I don't even know what to wear for this stupid date!" he angrily threw the T- shirt into a rumpled pile in the drawer.

Bruce stepped over to him. "My first date was hard, too. It was this scientist's daughter. She was so much smarter than I was, and I was afraid that I would be too dumb for her. But she wasn't interested in talking about cold fusion or the cure to the common cold. She wanted a normal relationship. Sometimes just being as normal as possible is the right thing to do." Bruce plucked at the rumpled pile of shirts. "Maybe not a T- shirt full of holes, though. Let's go with something that will look clean cut, but not overdressed for a normal guy. Pick your favorite shirt that doesn't have a band or energy drink label on it, and try it on with some black slacks. It works every time." Bruce smiled and walked out.

Jason considered this, and strode to the closet. He didn't have many classy favorite shirts, as most of them had half naked women on them, and he had ruled those out already. But the one he did have worked well for him. A cerulean blue button up hung there, lonely on the wire hanger. He hardly ever washed his button up shirts, as he had little use for them. It wasn't his favorite, but he had worn the green one yesterday, and this one was good enough.

An hour later, Bruce was beginning his routine of polishing the grappling guns and batarangs, when from the corner of his eye, he noticed something very peculiar; a cleaned up Jason Todd was quietly trying to take one of the old camaros, a 1967 model to be precise.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked from the table. It wasn't that he was concerned, he was just mildly curious, and since it was his car, he thought he had the right to know.

"I'm, uh," Jason blushed in embarrassment. "I'm taking the car to get flowers." he mumbled.

"Alright. Have fun then. And remember, never make the move on the first date, or she won't talk to you again," Bruce grinned at a memory of his younger days.

A grin broke out across Jason's face. "Thanks! I'll see you in the morning, don't wait up for me on business. I'm gonna make sure she has a great time, even if it means sitting through the worst movie and being vegan for the night!"

As the camaro sped off, Bruce openly laughed for the first time in a long while. Alfred came in with an eyebrow arched.

"What was that, Master Bruce?"

"Oh, just young love and a good kid."

At seven twenty-five, Jason Todd cruised up to the mansion of Jeffrey Jenkins, the foster father of Rozalin Mercer, in a black 1967 camaro with red racing stripes and leather interior. He turned off the ignition, stepped out of the car, and walked up the front steps. The doorbell sounded like church bells, and a sudden chill ran through his spine. He had faced countless dangerous situations, brought down hundreds of gang bangers, drug lords, pimps, rapists, murderers, and even evil masterminds with surprising abilities. But nothing was as terrifying as waiting on the front porch to see her for their first date.

A butler opened the door, and with a look of disdain, he admitted Jason. He noticed the look, and misread it entirely.

"Do I look okay for a movie? Am I underdressed?" he asked, suddenly nervous.

"No, I just don't like you," the butler sneered and strode away.

"Nice to meet you too," Jason muttered, and a giggle rang through the air, like the chime of bells. He turned to see Rozalin at the bottom of the stairs, clad in a black dress. He was relieved that Bruce was right about the dress code.

"That's just Herman, he doesn't like anyone." she waved in the direction the butler had wandered off in. "I just talked to Mr. Jenkins, and he's alright with me going, as long as I come back before three in the morning." she smiled at the man's obvious want for her to leave. "He says I don't get out enough."

"Well, let's go prove him wrong," Jason held his arm out to her, and she took it gently. He led her to the camaro, which he caught her admiring.

"What year is this one?" she ran a hand along one of the racing stripes.

"1967, but the engine is new. Bruce and I fixed it up together in our spare time." Jason laughed to himself. "He knew already that I was pretty good at taking them apart and putting them back together."

"I wish Mr. Jenkins let me have fun with the cars in the garage. He says it's too _dirty_ for a young woman to do." she rolled her eyes. "If only he knew."

They laughed together, and got in the camaro. Jason looked over at her.

'_God, she is so beautiful. Why did you waste her on the broken home she had? Why did you waste her on me?_' he thought as she looked down in her lap and blushed.

"So, where to first, movie or dinner?" he gave her a winning smile, and she smiled back shyly.

"I'm good for anything, but we should check the listings for the movies first, so we won't be late." she replied.

Jason nodded and hit the gas, starting the date off with a smooth purr from the engine. It took them about fifteen minutes to get into downtown Gotham, park the camaro in a secure space, and walk a couple blocks to the theater. They looked at the listings, and the choices made Jason inwardly cringe. The choices included two chick flicks, a foreign movie about women's rights, a romantic comedy, a thriller about a rapist, and a gory horror movie.

"Not a lot of good options, are there?" Rozalin asked, looking at the titles. "I can't speak Mandarin, do you?"

"Not a word," Jason replied, a small sense of relief settling in. "Any others that we can rule out?"

"Well, I don't expect those two chick flicks to be worth watching, so those are out, and the thriller will give me nightmares."

"Okay, horror or romantic comedy it is." Jason looked to the box office and spoke to the ticket man behind the glass window. "What are the times for the romantic comedy?"

"The next time's at nine," the lanky teenager in the box office replied, bored out of his mind.

"Then we'll take two for that showing." Jason took out his wallet, made of worn leather from the years of use from the first Christmas he spent with Bruce, and pulled out a twenty.

The bored young man took that particular moment to notice who he was handing tickets to, and let out a gasp. "You're Jason Todd! Wayne's boy!"

"Great observation, but I really don't want to make a scene." Jason backed away from the office. It wouldn't do to have paparazzi showing up and ruining the mood. The guy looked over to his date.

"And that's Jenkin's ward, Rozalin Mercer!" he practically beamed at her, and she took Jason's hand, backing away.

"Don't be telling people we're here. We just want to enjoy tonight without any hassle, okay?" Rozalin's concerned tone worried Jason, and he wrapped his hand tighter around her.

"Let's just get to dinner," Jason suggested. "By the time we come back, he'll be off duty, and we'll sneak in, okay?"

She nodded in agreement, and they set off in the direction of the restaurant. Jason had reserved a table at a restaurant called _Songbird's Paradise_, a restaurant that had the theme of exotic birds. They were seated quickly, as there were no walk- ins allowed at the place. The table was by an arched window overlooking the courtyard of Gotham's Cathedral, and a caged cardinal and robin were on the windowsill. Jason pulled out Rozalin's seat for her, and she blushed as he pushed her seat in to the table, then sat himself.

"So, we have a lot of catching up to do," she folded her hands on the table, the alabaster of her skin accented by the deep red of the tablecloth.

"I guess we do, since we haven't seen each other in years." Jason tilted his head slightly, thinking of questions to ask her. He had so many then. "Is your favorite color still green?"

"Yes. Peridot green." she smiled. "I'm glad you remembered. What is your favorite color?"

"Blue. Like your eyes." Jason looked out the window. "...I'm sorry for not finding you sooner. If I had known, if I had seen you sooner..."

"Jason, don't beat yourself up for it. Things worked out for me. I have a small job as a paramedic, I have a good home now, my father's name has been cleared, and we found each other in a good place in our lives." Rozalin put her hand over his, and they looked at each other with love in their eyes.

The waiter chose that moment to interrupt their moment by asking their orders. Jason took an order of chicken teriyaki, and Rozalin took a small salad with a raspberry vinaigrette.

"I never painted you for one who needed to watch her figure," Jason joked as the waiter left.

"I don't," she replied, stirring her iced tea with her straw. "It's just for health reasons. And I'm a vegetarian now. Though bacon sounds really tempting right about now..." she smirked. "And what about you? Anything new I should know about?"

"Well, you know about Bruce's secret," Jason said low, leaning toward her. "But now I'm the Robin. That's why I dyed my hair black. You remember how red it was, right?"

"Yeah, I only recognized you by your eyes and smile," she blushed, but remained serious. "So you're taking the night off of being Robin to go on a date with me?"

"Of course. Bruce can handle himself. And I wanted to have a private moment with you." Jason smiled in earnest at her. "What about you? Don't you have any secrets?"

"No, my life is perfectly boring and publicized," Rozalin lied. Jason could tell from the way her eyes dilated slightly, but he didn't say anything about it. She would confess when she was good and ready.

The movie was adorably weird. It was about some player who found love in the one woman who knew all of his sexual conquests, and he had to stop her from getting married to some douchebag. '_Wasn't it always the romantic rival who was the douchebag?_', Jason pondered idly, but the thought slipped his mind when Rozalin rested her head on his chest and snuggled up close. He wrapped his arm around her instinctually, and became content in their position. He needed this, he realized. He needed _her_.

At a quarter until midnight, Jason walked her to the door. He didn't fail to notice the slight sway in her hips, the confidence and nervousness raging inside her gait. She had her black pumps slung over one shoulder, her bare feet padding on the concrete stairs. They stopped at the front entrance.

"I had a really nice time," she smiled at him, and it reached her eyes with its honesty.

"I did too," he smiled back and took her hand. "It'd be great if we could do this again," he added hopefully.

"How about next Saturday? I don't have a shift in the ambulance then," she arched a brow at him, inviting him to answer.

"That's perfect. I'll run it by Bruce. Can I call you?" Jason knew he was treading on thin ice. That question was usually never asked on a first date, Bruce had warned.

"Sure," she took a pen out of the small clutch purse she had brought with her, and left in the car earlier, and wrote a number on his hand. "Let me know when the time is best for you. I can work around that." she kissed him on the cheek, and went inside. "Goodnight, Jason."

After the door shut, Jason rubbed his cheek absent mindedly and whispered back. "Goodnight, Rozalin."


	4. Batman is Batman, no matter what

When Jason arrived home that night, it was nearly one in the morning. He quietly tip toed his way to his room, thinking himself safe. He had just barely touched the doorknob to his room when Bruce's voice interrupted the silence.

"Have a good night?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did," Jason looked at him and gave a big grin. "I got a number and another date next Saturday. I'll give you all the details over breakfast. You look like you had a rough night."

Bruce smiled. "I did. I'm getting too dependent on Robins to bail me out of things. I'll see you at breakfast."

Jason went to bed, but he didn't sleep well. He was too happy about how easily he had connected with Rozalin. And he was also worried about how easily he had shared all his secrets. She hadn't shared hers, and that was fine with him. He was just worried that someone had overheard them. They were practically celebrities in Gotham City, what with being the heirs to Wayne Enterprises and Jenkins Corporation, two very rich and powerful companies. Someone was bound to be spying on them. He had tried his hardest to keep things out of the press, but his life was leaked out occasionally to them. And Rozalin was very public, but her life didn't have the substance or secrets the paparazzi wanted. She was too normal. But he was private, reclusive, and even violent sometimes, while she was a delicate flower who worked a cameraman like a professional. Surely someone would care if these two opposites got together?

The morning came, and as Jason dragged himself into the kitchen, Bruce was sipping coffee and reading the paper. He looked up from the crime section, and an eyebrow arched as Jason plopped down with his own coffee, filled with sugar and cream.

"You made the front page," Jason glanced at the crime section, where a picture of Batman fighting Two- Face was plastered.

"So did you," Bruce flicked the people section onto the table. On the front page was a large, color picture of Jason and Rozalin through the window they had sat at that night, smiling and flirting. Across the headline, the words 'Todd and Mercer in a relationship?' rang out.

Jason skimmed the article, which basically outlined their current status, and how well they had seemed to get along, and all kinds of rumors about the two secretly dating for months, but ended in a sour note saying how Jason didn't deserve a girl as social as Rozalin. It made his blood boil.

"Is nothing sacred in this God damned city?" he cried as he threw the paper down. "Can't I have a moment of peace without it being tainted by the past or by interlopers? Why can't I deserve the company of a wonderful person? Can't I be normal, too? Can't I be human?" He stood from his seat and yelled out his frustration.

"Yes, you can," Bruce set down the paper. "But there will always be someone watching. There will always be people that want what you have. Rozalin is a beautiful, bright, cheerful young woman. People will always wonder what she sees in you, because you don't have the public socialization skills she does. She knows how to work a crowd, and you know how to save this city. No one will understand, and that's okay. Just know that it is your personal treasure to hold. And no," Bruce looked him hard in the eye. "There is nothing sacred in this city. Not even the Cathedral courtyards that the paparazzi took this photo in."

The day was everlasting, dragging on in Jason's mind. He glanced at the phone number written on his hand. The numbers were starting to smear. He panicked and rushed to get a pen and paper. He wrote the number and Rozalin's name on it, then taped it to his wall. Staring at it, Jason resolved he would call her after dinner.

The last meal of the day was always the most formal, and always the most boring. That was because it was the time just before they would go out into the night, stopping the dregs of society from infecting Gotham with its corruption. Jason focused his mind on the plate in front of him. Lamb chop with too much gravy, asparagus cooked to perfection, a dinner roll, and a sprinkling of peas with a pat of butter. Just how he liked it. He always saved the dinner roll for last, savoring the taste of it. Most people ate that first, but he had always been a little backwards. He loved the taste of bread, because when he was a child, that was what he was offered, and it meant a night without starvation looming over his scared, shivering, tired body.

He dug into the asparagus, ever the one to enjoy vegetables. That was just the way he was, and no one had qualms about his eating habits. He didn't really like junk food that much. Processed foods left a bad taste in his mouth. But the flavor of the asparagus soothed his jittery thoughts, and as he moved on to the lamb chop, he cut the meat into little squares, then dipped it into the gravy. Jason never ate meat without some kind of sauce or gravy smothering it. That was as unhealthy as he got, and none of the others had any issue with this. In fact, Alfred and Bruce were thankful that Jason was a very health conscious person. Dick had been horrendous with his eating habits, and they were glad to be rid of all the chips and sodas filling the cabinets. They did hate all the teas and soy milk, though.

Bruce had finished, and he looked to Jason. He had finished everything but the roll, with a distant look on his face. Bruce cleared his throat.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, setting the napkin on the table.

Jason started a bit, then came back to focus. "Oh, yeah, just let me take this on the way." He picked up the roll and threw his napkin on the plate. He called over his shoulder a "Thanks, Alfred!" and followed after Bruce, who had already started on his way to the Batcave.

Once Bruce put on the cowl, no one was allowed to call him Bruce. It was either Bats, Batman, or, as Jason liked to call him, Mister Tall, Brooding and Grumpy. Jason put on his Robin suit and jumped in the Batmobile, the engine already going. Batman never waited to start the freaking car, and everyone else was simply supposed to know what he's doing. That bugged Jason to no end, but Batman was Batman, and he would never change.


	5. Gonna give all her secrets away

They parked in a dark alley near the docks, where a supposed drug shipment was due to arrive that night. Jason looked about, trying to see any other suspicious activity and calculating the odds, like Bruce had taught him to do. So far, the odds were against them, with about ten men per one of them. Not good, he mused, but that was the hand they were dealt. Oh well.

Suddenly a flash of black and red landed quietly next to him. A chill ran up his spine as an alluring female voiced whispered in his ear, tickling his neck with her minty breath.

"Hello, Birdie," she kissed his neck, and Jason whipped his head around. There, next to him, was the young woman who saved him from Poison Ivy the other day.

"Cardinal," he whispered back. "Don't do that, you scared me. And I have a girlfriend, I'll have you know, so don't kiss me either. It's inappropriate in the work place."

"I know you have a girlfriend, that's why it's so much fun," she teased, and smiled at his blush.

"What are you doing here?" Batman glared at her. It was alright to save them once, but barging in without asking is just rude.

"I was told a drug shipment was here. Thought you would be here, so I decided to help. Three against twenty two are much better odds, you see." Cardinal jutted her chin towards the docks.

"How did you find twenty two? There are only twenty there!" Jason waved his hand at the scene.

"There were two more that are under the deck. I've been here for four hours waiting for you two. What were you guys doing, eating dinner?" she hissed back at them.

"Er, no," Jason looked back at the docks to hide his embarrassment and shame. They had been outdone by a girl. A very attractive girl.

"Alright, it's now or never," Batman swooped down from the perch, and the two teen wonders leapt down after him. They landed a bit roughly, but managed to not draw too much attention. Unfortunately, it only takes one person to notice to send everything to hell.

"Oi! It's the bird boy!" A henchman wailed and pointed before Cardinal launched a thick heel into his face, shattering the jaw.

"What is it with you and kicking people in the face?" Robin asked her, and she shrugged in response.

A large man stepped out from under the deck, a metal bat in his hands. "Come here little birdie," he laughed at his terrible joke. "I've got something for you."

Batman was so busy fighting several goons at once, he didn't notice both Robin and Cardinal taking the bait, as they rushed at the man. Another sleazy man grabbed a plank of wood, and he bashed Cardinal over the head. Her cry of pain tore through her throat as she fell to her knees. The larger man was taken down by Robin, and Batman had finished taking care of the others. Noticing the lack of Cardinal, Batman caught sight of the last man throwing her over the side of the boat.

"No!" he growled as she fell thirty feet and into the cold murky water of the bay. He dove in after her as Robin tied up the unconscious villains.

In the cold water, her mask floated on the surface, and Batman dragged her out of the depths. He gazed at her face, stunned. "No. No, not her. I can't let him see her." He covered her face with his cowl as Robin approached.

"Is she okay?" he asked, reaching for the cowl.

"She's fine, but don't look at her. It's rude to look at another's secrets." Batman slapped his hand away.

Jason took a step back, choosing not to mention Rozalin's knowledge of their identities. It was for the best. Police sirens blared in the distance, and Batman scooped her mask out of the water, hastily slapping it onto her face. "We'll let Alfred take a look at her. Come on."

"Police report finding the criminals that escaped from Arkham Asylum apprehended by the heroes Batman and Robin. But the strange part of this normal routine between the authorities and the vigilantes is a new character in the mix. A young, unconscious woman lay in Robin's arms. They reported the woman to be another, separate do-gooder, a hero by the name of Cardinal. Her heroics have apparently been labeled as Batman's for the past week, as her avoidance of the media has been flawless. Will we catch sight of her again? This is Karrie Bonne, Gotham evening news."

The well coiffed woman signed off the news report on the large monitors of the Batcave's computer systems, and Bruce cursed. He was hoping that the news would keep this under wraps. Then again, what was he thinking letting them even know she exsisted? Now she would have more work than ever trying to make a name of herself instead of melding into the Bat family. He looked over to the table set up in the corner. Alfred had been running a few simple tests, and reported that she was just in shock, and would be fine in a few hours. But Jason had sat by her side, never leaving the makeshift bed for a moment. He could tell something was troubling him.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Jason?" Bruce laid a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched.

"Um, yeah. It's important, but I don't want you to be mad. I promised I wouldn't tell you, so don't tell her I told you though, okay?" Jason fidgeted with a Batarang in his hands.

"Alright. It's fine. Just tell me what's on your mind." Bruce kneeled down by the bed.

"Well, you remember Rozalin, right?"

"The girl your dating?"

"Right! It's just, she knew." Jason hesitated, drawing in a deep breath. "She knew for years that I was Robin and you were Batman. She was there when you found me."

"I know." Bruce stated simply.

"Don't be mad- wait, you, you know?" Jason looked up at him. "You saw her?"

"How do you think the authorities put her in the home she's in now? I pulled strings, Jason. I made sure she would be safe, since I couldn't take her in. I had no idea if she would even keep the secret. It's alright, Jason. She wouldn't tell anyone, and I trust her with that." Bruce stood up and looked him in the eye. "But that doesn't mean you can lift that mask, alright? This woman might not be as trusting as we are." Bruce mused to himself how true it must be, if Jason didn't already know.

As Bruce left, Jason peered at the young woman on the table. Her red shiny hair was wet and matted with the harbor's brine, her pale alabaster skin almost waxy with the way the lights shone on her. Ruby red lips slightly parted, revealing pearly white teeth. The thought seemed familiar to Jason, but he couldn't quite place it. The freckle just beneath the jaw line was familiar, too. Jason's eyes slowly took her in, the perfect curves that looked on the brink of full blossom, the birthmark in the shape of a gun on the plane just under the belly button. It was all so familiar, and yet he couldn't put a face or name to it. It just felt right to be there.

She opened her eyes, and sat up on the table. Jason noticed they were ice blue. Her legs swung over the side, and Jason stood up to help her.

"You could stay, you know." Jason offered as he led her to the exit away from Wayne Manor.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Cardinal replied. "Thank you for the help, but I can't stay. I don't want to worry my family. If I could, I would. Trust me, I would, but it would bring up too many issues in our lives. Let's keep it like this. I'll work with you guys, but I won't live with you guys. For now. Tell Bruce I said hi."

She disappeared without a trace, and Jason was left in shock. There were only a few people who knew Bruce as the Dark Knight. Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne of course, and himself. But that was all the men who knew him. The only woman who could pin his name to the cowl would be... no... No... NO!

"NO! No, no, no," shock was replaced by panic and overwhelming sadness. "Rozalin... no..."


	6. Caped Crusaders get all the chicks

The next morning, Jason was tired, with dark rings under his eyes and a slight sprinkling of stubble from the lack of shaving within the past days. Bruce raised an eyebrow at his peculiar behavior, especially when Jason took his coffee black, with the sugar on the side. Jason never had sugar on the side, nor did he eat it with a spoon. His green eyes looked haunted, as though he had seen something he wished he hadn't.

"Everything all right, Jason?" Bruce put down the morning paper. "You don't look well."

"I have a hunch my girlfriend is hiding a very important thing from me. I have to find out, but I don't want to upset her. She gave me a valuable hint last night. Now I have to level with her." Jason put his head in his hands. "What am I getting into?"

"Next time you see her, ask her about it. Even if it's hard to do, you need to do this. Even if she gets mad, it's better than having a secret driving a wedge between the two of you. Now come on, let's get you cleaned up. We have a press conference to attend today, and I can't have you looking like this and being miserable."

An hour later, they were exiting the limousine, dressed in pinstriped suits and combed hair. The faint smell of aftershave lingered on their skin like the promises you hear from whores- empty and hollow, with a hint of pine. They stepped up to the stage, where some unnamed woman, no doubt underpaid, introduced them to the crowd. The flashes of a thousand cameras went off, blinding them for a moment, and questions fired off like cannons, filling the air with sound.

"People, please." Bruce spoke into the microphone. "I will answer each question one at a time."

"Is it true that Wayne Tech is producing a new security system that uses brain waves to detect a person's intent once inside the home?" some greasy, malnourished reporter asked, a tape recorder at his arms length.

"No, that isn't true. We are making a new security system, but it has nothing to do with brain waves and everything to do with retina scans." Bruce was cut off by a new question.

"Is the Jenkins corporation merging with Wayne Enterprises?" another reporter cut in.

"Yes. We are planning it to start next week, if everything clears in with the board." Bruce answered, only to be asked the question he was hoping to not be asked.

"Mr. Wayne, is it true your new apprentice Jason Todd is dating the ward of Mr. Jenkins?"

Bruce sighed. "Yes. This is true, but it is none of my business, and none of yours for that matter. What happens between Mr. Todd and other people is not my concern, as long as he behaves himself."

This caused an onslaught of questions towards Jason. He was caught off-guard, and stammered answers that didn't need to be.

"Mr. Todd, is it true that you are seeing Ms. Mercer?"

"I- I guess so, yeah."

"Jason, can you tell us anything about Ms. Mercer?"

"No, that's not my business to tell."

"Mr. Todd, can we assume that the merger between the two companies was aided by your relationship?"

"No, it has nothing to do with it." The questions got more and more intrusive, and the little voice, his conscience, was being overwhelmed by his anger. How dare these ingrates intrude upon his love life? What business was it of theirs? He snapped, and the anger took over.

"That's enough! What right do you have to be this rude, this, this _asinine _to someone who just wants to have a life? Is it not good enough for you to already know about the company? Why do we have to put on this dog and pony show for you monkeys, anyway?" he screamed at them, veins in his neck popping out, his teeth grinding together. He grabbed a reporter by the lapels of his grimy jacket. "Why do you even bother? Why? Can't we have a bit of peace?"

"Jason, stop!" Bruce pulled Jason off the reporter, appalled at the scene. Pictures were snapped a mile a minute, flashing wildly. Jason struggled, his rage seeping into chaos. Someone ran up to them, and took Jason's hand.

"Jason, honey, you need to stop," Rozalin begged, rubbing his hand. "It's alright." she turned towards the crowd. "I think these two have had enough. Good day, and please be kind in your reports."

They dragged the still huffing Jason off the stage and back into the safety of the limo.

"What the hell was that?" Bruce raged. "We _don't_ harm others, especially reporters who write about us."

"They had it coming!" Jason roared. "They were poking around where they shouldn't! Those people need to learn that not everything is news. Not everything is supposed to be blasted all over the front page. Not people's lives." he began to calm down.

"It's alright, Jason." Rozalin soothed his panting, angry form. "They were just curious. We aren't as important as Bruce here, but we are prominent figures in business now. We're not scared kids on crime alley anymore. People are going to ask questions. We just have to go with it for now, and keep our secrets hidden. You know, give them a show, and they'll be satisfied."

"That... that makes sense." Jason was calm by now. "Maybe tonight I need to get out. Work has been stressful lately." he looked to Bruce.

"I'll give you the night off, if you can find a way to relax." Bruce allowed.

"I've got an idea." Rozalin smiled at Jason. "How about you and I go to the new club tonight? It's the grand opening, and they expect _someone_ important to show up, so why not us? That way we can show we can have fun, without them really delving into things, like what we talk about over dinner."

"Fine. But if this ends horribly, don't be mad at me." Jason grumped.

"Now why would I do that?"

Jason decided it was time to make a move. Or at least impress her. Perhaps he should just steer clear of her and let her do what she wants? He sighed. He used to know everything about her. But now she was older, wiser. Much more attractive. He disregarded the semi formal garb in his closet. Night clubs were for tight clothing, leather jackets, and good bands. All of which sat in the drawers of his dresser. How convenient.

The band on his T- shirt was an unknown beauty, not one of those mass- produced concert shirts that you could pick up at Walmart to fit in when you can't name a single one of their hits. He hated hypocrites like that. If you didn't know the band, don't wear the shirt. How hard was that to figure out? The leather of his jacket was polished and shined under the lights of the manor. He adjusted the belt on his ripped and worn jeans. There was no way in Hell that he was going to wear a pair of those hip- hugging, vampire book- loving, sparkly assed skinny jeans. Nor was he going to wear leather pants. He was not going to be caught dead on the covers of glossy magazines looking like one of those little emo kids that cry in the corner. Not for the first time this week, he was nervous. Undeniably, terrifyingly nervous. Like he was about to put his neck under the guillotine nervous. What if she was going to stand him up? What if he screwed the whole thing up after his outrage today? What if she found someone else? Who else would be there? He prayed Dick Grayson wouldn't be there. Heaven help him if he had to see that prick's smug face as he flirted with Rozalin. After all, who wouldn't?

The doorbell rang, the sound of chimes filling the air. Suddenly his panic level jumped. A small panic attack filled his brain with screams of obscenities, as Alfred answered the door in his usual all business manner.

"Miss Mercer, do come in. May I take your coat, or will you not be staying long?" he asked in a kindly curious manner, and Rozalin shook her head.

"No, I'm just waiting for Jason to come down the stairs and take me out. Hermes doesn't like being out this late, so he just dropped me off." she answered sweetly, but Jason could hear the lie in her voice. There was no Hermes. She walked here by herself, the stubborn girl.

Alfred could sense the lie as well, but the only response he gave at this was a raised eyebrow. "Very well then. I shall alert him of your arrival."

"That won't be necessary, Alfred," Jason stepped out from the landing of the stairs. He took them two at a time, talking all the while. "We'll be at new club, um, what's it's name? Throttle?"

"Clutch," Rozalin corrected, and Jason looked at her.

"Wow, you look great. I feel kind of shabby now. Should I go change?" he took in her tight red dress. It was some kind of skin tight, shiny material. Not chiffon, not cotton, more like the under armor shirts, but his train of thought was cut off by Rozalin blushing, no doubt from his ogling.

"No, you look fine." Rozalin smiled warmly. He didn't believe her, but if she wanted him to wear that, he would.

"We'll be back at, well, we'll be back sometime." Jason addressed Alfred, taking the camaro's keys from him. "If you need us, we'll probably be there."

"Very good sir." Alfred saw them off, and sighed as they drove down the long driveway to downtown Gotham. "Some things just don't change," he thought of Bruce and Richard's romantic escapades. Something about caped crusaders just brought about the ladies.


	7. Clutch and Di er, Richard

Clutch was a booming club not very far from Nini's restaurant and bar. It had tinted windows and strobe lights everywhere. A red carpet was at the front, along with the paparazzi. Just as they had planned. The camaro rolled smoothly up to the stripe of velvet crimson, and a valet opened the driver door to reveal Jason Todd, who stepped out and handed the valet the keys before walking around to open the passenger door. He took Rozalin Mercer's hand and led her up the red carpet with a cordial air, as if she was a queen. She was in his eyes, and in the eyes of the public, so in a way, he was right to do so. Cameras flashed rapidly, blinding them, and they smiled brightly for them.

"Rozalin, look this way!"

"Jason, over here!" the photographers cried, and they played it up for them, holding hands and posing together.

Jason wrapped an arm around her waist, and Rozalin blushed prettily. The crowd went wild with speculation, and they smiled to themselves. At this rate, the tabloids would burn out on them, and then leave them alone.

The tinted glass doors opened for them, and it revealed an expanse of gyrating people. Women in hardly any clothing rubbed against each other and men in tight leather. The children of lawyers and doctors rubbed elbows with the heirs of large businesses, drinking alcohol and dancing their immature, spoiled hearts out. It sickened Jason. He would much rather be patrolling the streets with Bruce... and Cardinal. He thought of the gun- shaped birthmark just under her belly button. If he were to look at the planes of Rozalin's body, would he find one just like it? Or was he mistaken? The thought of her keeping something so important from him ate at him. But, wasn't that exactly what he had intended on doing, had she not already known he was Robin? Should he expect anything different from another crime fighter?

Rozalin turned to him, trying to speak to him over the crowd's pleas for attention.

"I think it's high time we had some fun inside, wouldn't you agree?" she whispered in his ear. He nodded, taking her into the large, swanky dance club.

The first thought that came to mind was ow. The music was so loud, the bass sent a rhythm into the solar plexus of anyone inside. The lights flashed, turning everything white and black in the same instant. Glittery strippers hung in cages on the ceiling, and a glass box over the dance floor held a young woman in nothing but a sparkly purple thong and a smile. The crowd cheered and gyrated in sexual movements, exaggerated by alcohol and hormones.

It was a nightmare for them. In the corners, Jason couldn't help but notice the druggies, the drunks, and the stalkers sitting, watching, waiting for their chance for one of the young dancers. He caught glimpses of cocaine, heroin, oxycotton, and marijuana. It figured that the one night he took off the cape, all the small time crooks came out of the dark. Dammit, it was just his luck. He noticed Rozalin had become tense, though she kept the smile plastered on her face, laughing at bad jokes made by passerby, and the such. Suspicious didn't even cover it, in Jason's mind.

"Jason? Jason, how are you!"

Jason cringed. Aw, fuck it all, Jason thought. It was just who he didn't want to see. He turned and tried to force on a smile, but it looked like something that would scare the Joker, it was so strained and jagged.

"Hey, Dick. I'm doing just fine, how are you?"

"I'm doing good, how's- why, hello there." Richard Grayson, the first Robin, had set his sights on Rozalin. "I'm Richard. But you, madam, may call me Dick."

"Yes, I think I will, especially when you are causing my Birdie here to stress." Rozalin's smile was caustic and her tone was acidic, the ultimate rejection line. The smirk slid off Dick's face, and his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Birdie?" he looked to Jason, puzzled. "What does she mean by, _Birdie_? Jason, why would she call you- oh," Dick saw the guilty look on Jason's face. "You told her? How irresponsible can you be?"

"He didn't tell me," Rozalin glared at Dick. "How dare you accuse him. I have known that secret for years, thanks to Batman's brilliant way of picking random kids off the streets. Now I would like it if you would kindly back the hell off."

Her ferociousness made Dick take a step back. "Fine. I'll go. But Jason," he looked to his replacement Robin. "Be careful who you share secrets with. Not that she's untrustworthy, but not everyone is as nice as her. And don't go breaking rules. They're there for a reason."

They cut the night short, and Jason drove her back home.

"You didn't have to take me home, Hermes could have" Rozalin started, but Jason cut her off.

"There was no Hermes. You walked to Wayne Manor. I know you did, because you're stubborn, independent, and you do a lot of cardio fighting villains."

"What?" she seemed not quite surprised that he knew, more that he would be so blase about it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I'm sure you do. I remember the gun shaped birthmark, and the small scar on your collar bone where your mother hit you. I helped bandage it, as I recall." He was stern, but not harsh. He didn't want her to hate him, or think him an ass.

She was quiet for a time, and looked intently at her shoes. "You caught me. I've been helping you guys out for a while now, keeping to small muggings and drug deals. You guys are always so busy tracking down the big villains that you forget the little people, the ones who get hurt the most. So I do it for you. Is that such a crime?"

"No, it's not." Jason lifted her chin. "But it is dangerous. I want you to be more careful with your work. I won't tell you what to do, but I will warn you. If you do things alone, you don't have anyone to help if you need it. I invite you to stay with us. We can fight together."

"I'd like to, but the Bat won't allow that." Rozalin gave a sad smile. "We don't play by the same rules. I'm playing a different game."


	8. Peacock, Ironic costumes and media

Jason lay on his bed, slightly chilled from wearing only his Joe Boxers, but not cold enough to get under the blankets. He was thinking about what Rozalin had said. 'We don't play by the same rules.' That threw him for a loop. What could she have meant by that? He didn't really want to find out, for some reason. His subconscious told him he shouldn't go where he couldn't handle. So he didn't. Instead, he thought of the way she danced after Dick had gone off to nurse his drink and pick up women, like usual. She had dipped low and shot up, twisting and turning, showing off her flexibility. It floored him how such a dirty dance could look graceful. For a time, she had the dance floor to her self in some top 10 song. It had a catchy beat, and it seemed to be about the actions of some colorful bird. What was it? He couldn't pin a name to it. 'Come on baby let me see, what you're hiding underneath.' Was a line that caught his attention, especially when she chose then to flip, showing her fuchsia panties to everyone in his general direction.

After an hour, Dick came back, smelling of women's perfume and testosterone. He waltzed over to Rozalin, and tried the worst pick up line Jason had ever heard.

"Does this drink smell drugged to you?" he asked, handing her a drink.

"I don't know, but I won't find out. Goodnight, Dick. I'm going home." she handed the drink back and stood by Jason.

"I don't get what you see in him. He's angry, pessimistic, and brooding." Dick was being... well... Jason didn't really want to say it, he didn't have to.

"Just like you were when you wore the cape in your teen years. Up until you left and became Nightwing. Goodnight." Rozalin took Jason's arm and left, and Jason could feel her arm tense when Dick called after her, using a very inappropriate name. Jason let go of her but for only a moment, and decked Dick in the face.

His hand still hurt, but he wasn't sorry. He didn't think he ever would be.

It was closing in on Halloween. Jason was ecstatic, and for good reason. Bruce had relented and admitted now was as good a time as any to let him have the Robin Cycle. He had polished it to a high shine, and buffed out all the scratches that Dick had put into it in his time under the big R.

The cheery red of the paint job reminded him of the first time he had met Wonder Woman. In the Arctic, if he remembered correctly. He and Batman were dressed in parka versions of their suits. They had just gotten off of one of Batman's ridiculously priced, designed, and named contraptions. She had been standing out in the damn snow for a while, in just her costume- if you could call it that. In Jason's opinion, it was glorified underwear. She had mistook him for Dick, saying how much they looked alike. It was after he dyed his red hair black.

"Well, you better come inside, before you freeze," she called over her shoulder.

"_We'll _freeze?... and wearing that?" Jason gawked at her almost nude form. For a woman possibly twenty to thirty years older, she was very well kept.

"Clean thoughts, Jason," Batman smirked at his sidekick's embarrassment.

That had been years ago. Now he and Wonder Woman, or Diana, as he was allowed to call her, were on a first name basis. He focused back on the motorcycle.

Tonight was a masquerade, and Rozalin had agreed to come with him. She had told him not to worry about costumes, that she had it covered, but she hadn't deigned to tell him what they were. Knowing Rozalin, she would go with something ironic or adorable. He didn't like either, but ironic was at least bearable. If it was matching costumes, he would blow a fuse and leave before the night was over. He checked his diver's watch and cursed. He had to leave in a few minutes, and he was covered in turtle wax.

Jason stood on the front porch of the Jenkins Mansion, his dyed black hair still wet from the rushed shower. It dripped water on his jacket, as he hadn't dried himself either. It was cold, and goose-flesh covered his arms as he shivered slightly. The door opened to reveal Herman, the butler. He glowered as usual at the youth. Jason shook it off, like always, and gave him a smirk.

"Hey Herman. I'm here to pick up Rozalin. Is she ready?"

"I'm right here, Birdie," Rozalin called from behind Herman, presumably on the flight of marble stairs. "Come in and get your costume, it's just inside the door."

"Thanks, Sweet Pea," Jason called back, stepping around the snooty butler. He stopped short when he saw the costume. Ah, fuck. She went ironic. As ironic as it gets.

Resting across the back of the chair was the blasted thing, and he cursed costume makers everywhere for investing in superheroes.

The masquerade was a charity event for child services. Bruce always sent Jason, which Jason found hilarious, since that was the very organization that failed to save him as the caped crusader had. But taking Rozalin made the entire ordeal tolerable. He even wore the fucking costume. Even though it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever wore. Even more ridiculous than the latex Robin costume he normally wore every night.

The cape and cowl. Fakeified. Great. Whoopie freakin' do. For years he had thought about wearing the costume, and the first time he did, it was the cheap polyester version with the fake muscles and too short cape. Why had she picked Batman and Robin as the costumes?

He hated his costume, more for the sheer irony of it. And the fact that Bruce would give him hell when he saw the live coverage on the television. But he had to admit that he would have Rozalin wear his suit more often. The way her still developing curves filled out the fake Robin costume left him something to the imagination, but not much. Mostly because the red tights he wore were replaced with a small green skirt, a tribute to the original Robin suit. Her cape was also too short, but it worked for her.

They reached the venue on a black Harley Davidson, something Bruce gave him to practice with. Cameras flashed brightly and immediately. A newswoman, probably for E! News was already in their faces.

"Hello, Jane West, Entertainment Weekly. Who are you wearing?" the pushy woman with too much makeup sickened Jason, but he humored her.

"Batman and Robin, of course." he smirked, eliciting a riot of fangirl screams. Sometimes it was just too good to be rich, famous, and handsome, even if it did expand the ego.

"Why dress as Gotham's heroes?" the woman directed the microphone to Rozalin, who let out a dramatic sigh.

"Because they are the best! Especially Robin. You know, because anyone with enough guts to wear latex every night fighting bad guys has got to be brave. And Robin is so hot, I doubt that there isn't a fan club somewhere out there just hating me for wearing the R."

They drifted away up the stairs to the actual party, full of politicians, businessmen, savings bond children, and influential people, all dressed in fanciful costumes and bright smiles. Jason glowered. The women dressed like whores, which reminded him of his real hobby at night, and it disgusted him. At least Rozalin's costume was somewhat tasteful, not letting her cleavage hang out and her legs were covered in boots and the skirt. These women dressed like slutty nurses, firefighters, police, and even as other heroes. He caught sight of one that was dressed like the Black Canary, only her black hair ruined the affect. She was just a hoe in a leather leotard and fishnets. The clack of stilettoes mixed with the cacophony of under the table deals, diplomatic conversations, and disgusting flirtations of cheating spouses. Just another night of high society.


	9. The line of gray between good and evil

Music had started, as the host, Oliver Queen, had instructed. The name Oliver struck Jason's memory, but he couldn't place it. He didn't bother thinking about it much, as Rozalin had led him into a conversation with one of the guests, the Harpers. Roy wasn't very cheerful, but he was loving towards his strange looking wife. She had strawberry blonde hair that contrasted with Roy's coppery red hair, and her brown eyes held a ring of pink. It disconcerted him, but dismissed it, as the Harper children, dressed as other heroes, came to be taken to bed. The Harpers weren't much older than they were. In fact, they were about Dick's age, a bit older. But they had decided early on to have children. Jason didn't understand why, but he did see that it was something that the couple were very happy with. The wife, Gloria was her name, if Jason remembered correctly, picked up a small Red Arrow, and Roy scooped up a little Flash, and excused themselves from the party, taking the kids to bed. Jason looked at them, and couldn't believe that they were planning on having another. Two seemed to be plenty. Jason looked at his watch and cursed mentally a long line of profanity that would make even Batman tremble in fear. There was still another hour to go, and the last interesting people around his generation just went to put their kids to bed, leaving them with old, cheap, dime a dozen aristocrats. Rozalin didn't seem too happy about the other guests either, since most of the male populace had taken notice of her feminine charms, and had stayed close to Jason to avoid harassment.

"Can we leave early?" she asked. "These people give me the creeps, and I heard about this drug bust down on the corner of Finger and Fourth. You wanna go?"

"Hell yeah I do," Jason smirked. Truly this was a woman after his own heart, choosing to beat the crap out of drug dealers rather than fake laugh the night away.

They slipped out of the ball, and found the motorcycle. Jason reached inside the saddle bag and pulled out the real Robin costume, while Rozalin stripped down quietly in the shadows. He tried not to notice the flashes of pale alabaster skin, but he was a man after all. She emerged from the shadows in the Cardinal suit, and Jason's heart skipped a beat. It was the first time he had seen her wear the suit since he confronted her about it. That wasn't to say that Cardinal hadn't hit the crime section of the papers at least once a week since the incident, but he had made a point to avoid the shock of it. He had thought if he hadn't seen her in it, it must not be her. But it was her, and there was no denying it now. The gun shaped birthmark whispered at him through the mesh of the red fish net shirt.

"Let's go clean up Gotham," Jason smirked as they rode off towards the direction of finger and fourth.

Finger and Fourth was an intersection like any other in Gotham, with drug dealings going on in the alleyways and shootings every other week. Even with Batman, crime wasn't going to quit. Especially now that the Bat was working with police, seeking validation. Jason wondered what the city would be like if someone were to try controlling the crime, and wiping out those who didn't follow the new rules. To him, it seemed to make a lot more sense. The motorcycle halted in a parking garage under a glass walled skyscraper. Bruce had a penthouse in the building, so Jason figured it would be the best place for it.

They hurried out to the corner of Finger and Fourth, and found a rather large group of drug dealers passing around small bags of white powder, rocks of crack and heroin, needles, no doubt used by several other people, and marijuana by the kilo. They silently watched a moment, trying to decipher just what they were seeing. The thugs had started talking about who they represented. Apparently the group was comprised of three of Two Face's guys, two Black Mask goons, and eight Penguin servants, which made the other five men nervous. Penguin had the upper hand.

Jason- or Robin, as he was supposed to be now, was tempted to let the thugs just kill each other. What harm would that do? Put the blood on someone else's hands, let them dig their own grave. But Cardinal had other plans. The moonlight shone off of something shiny in her hands, and Jason almost gave their position away with a gasp. It was a Barretta.


	10. Where a sequel is necessary here

She leapt from the safety of their hiding place and cocked the gun. She fired off two rounds, and one of Penguin's goons fell in a solid heap.

"I'll only say this once," she growled. "Turn yourselves in, or I kill you all."

They didn't think she was serious, and they laughed at her threat. What harm could she pose? Surely they could just take the gun and have her all to themselves. But her warning never needed to have happened, for at that moment an arrow struck down another man. Jason appeared at Cardinal's side, and they spied Arsenal, or Red Arrow, or whoever he was calling himself these days, along with another hero, a woman with strawberry blonde hair wearing a domino mask and a cherry red smile. She pulled out a bow as well, and laid her hand on Red Arrow's cheek. Her hair became the same coppery red that Red Arrow's was, and she let down a rain of well aimed arrows. Cardinal and Robin began hand to hand combat on the other drug dealers, while Red Arrow and the mysterious woman covered them from above. It was only a matter of minutes before the corner was filled with the crumpled, unconscious, and in one case lifeless, bodies of the drug dealers.

Nightwing arrived late, just as the police sirens were starting to fill the air. He looked over at the heap of criminals, tsked himself for not being faster, and saw Red Arrow and the mysterious woman, ignoring Robin and Cardinal. That was fine with them, but took interest at his close attention to the mysterious woman. They wondered who she was.

"Red Arrow and Mimic, it's been too long since I've seen you two." Richard tried to strike up conversation, but Red Arrow lifted his hand to stop.

"You're late, and you haven't bothered calling us about anything, and you missed the boys' last three birthdays." he said, and things clicked into place for Jason.

He remembered where he had heard Oliver Queen and Roy Harper before. Oliver was the Green Arrow, and Roy was at one time Speedy, then Red Arrow. Obviously the mysterious woman was his wife, the woman they had met earlier, Gloria Harper. They were discussing their two boys, Roy Harper the second and Oliver Harper. Jason felt guilty. He hadn't even remembered their identities, when Batman and Robin had been on all kinds of Justice League missions with the two Arrows. Come to think of it, Red Arrow and Batman had even discussed Roy's marriage before. He could have smacked himself for his lack of memory.

"Fine, I'll go. See you all later," Nightwing's irritated voice grabbed his attention once more, noticing Cardinal's sigh of relief as he left.

They approached the two helping heroes, and they walked among the alleyways for a bit, while the police dealt with the scene they left behind.

"So, what brings you two to Gotham, eh, Roy?" Jason decided to let them know he remembered, even though he really hadn't.

"The ball had us come. Ollie made us promise to be there." Red Arrow answered. "I'm just glad he made it a masquerade. How else were we supposed to let the boys miss trick or treating? We sure as hell weren't going to let them do it here. Crime rates are too high around here, no offense."

"None taken. How are those two anyways? I missed their last birthday party." Jason asked.

"They are fine. Oliver had a cold for a while, so it put me out of commission for a while." the woman, Gloria, or Mimic, answered. Jason hadn't noticed it earlier, but her voice had a slight accent to it, like someone who had grown up in a different country, but lived in an English speaking country long enough to translate it to English fluently. He couldn't place the country, though. Embarrassment met his masked face as Cardinal spoke up.

"So how long has it been since you've seen Austria?" she pinned the accent perfectly, given away by Mimic's gasp of delight.

"How did you know where I am from, young Fraulein?" she clapped her hands together, and the accent was so recognizable now. Jason again felt the urge to smack himself. Hadn't Batman taught him all about placing accents and the differences between them?

"The stress on your vowels is still there," Cardinal answered.

"Ah. Well, it's been quite a while. I've no need to be there, when I have all I want or need here, with my family." Mimic took hold of Red Arrow's hand, and he blushed beneath his domino mask.

"And how did you learn to arch so quickly?" Jason asked, curious to see the power in action.

"I take talents and abilities from those I touch, and use them to my advantage. Very simple. Robin, where is your Batman? Does he know you are out here on your own? Should we take you home?"

"No ma'am. Br- Batman has a penthouse on Finger and Fourth that we'll use tonight, then go home in the morning. Have a good night," Jason shook his head. She must be a mother. A good mother, since she cared so much for children who weren't even hers. He was glad his acquaintance Roy had such a good wife on his arm. They saw the two lovers off, then walked back to the corner of Finger and Fourth, where police had been hauling away the criminals. A body bag held one. The sight thrilled Jason, which sickened him to know.

"Why did you shoot him?" Jason asked her in the elevator.

"Because I told you," Cardinal stripped off her mask, revealing cold, calculating, ice blue eyes. "I don't play by the same rules."

For some reason, this made sense to Jason, and he didn't think any more of it. Instead, his attention was brought to the heave of her chest as she took in breath. His fingers shook as he unlocked the penthouse door, and he looked into her eyes. Instead of the coldness he saw there just seconds ago, he saw something else that was just as powerful. He saw lust in its purest form, and it took his breath away. Jason pushed open the door, and he caught her lips in his before they moved inside. He kicked the door closed behind him, which slammed quietly. The automatic locks kicked in as he plundered her mouth with his tongue, swirling it about hers in a dance most erotic.


	11. Young lovemaking avert your eyes!

Hands shook as layers of latex and leather slipped off, leaving Jason in his boxers, and Rozalin in her fishnet shirt and a lacy black pair of boy shorts. He kicked away the utility belt that she had freed him of seconds ago, and moved closer to her. Her breath was warm against his skin, and they moved together towards the bed. She gently stripped his mask from his face, revealing his beautiful green eyes. He knew from that moment, when her breath caught, that she loved him with all her heart. He had known of his love for her for years, as the guilt of leaving her in that alley had told him. But he was still nervous. Were they rushing this? Would they regret this? Or should they live as if they were going to die tomorrow?

In his mind, he decided they really had nothing to lose, as they really could die tomorrow, or the next day, until they both decided they had enough of the hero game, and he laid her down on the soft silks of the bedspread. Her sigh of happiness persuaded him to remove her fishnet shirt, which gave him a view of her taped down breasts. He arched a brow at her, and she blushed.

"Well, I don't want to have them hanging out where everyone can see them, and bras just don't cut it when it comes to fighting crime." she explained.

"Ah," he looked her in the eye. "May I?"

"Go ahead, Jason. I need you to." Rozalin smiled softly, and he lifted the edge of the tape.

It took a bit of unwinding, and turning Rozalin over, but eventually the tape came off, leaving her breasts bare, red lines showing where the tape had once been. Jason dropped the tape over the edge of the bed, and slowly took her breasts into his hands. They were more than a handful each, which promised even larger sizes to her when she reached full physical maturity. He gently massaged the sore spots on them, where the tape had stuck fast like a band aid, where she had cursed when he ripped it off her flesh, and kissed the red lines. She gasped at the feeling, and it left Jason smirking against her skin knowing it was he who was doing this to her.

Jason kissed up her throat to her lips, and gave her a bruising kiss that left her wanting more. She whimpered as he kissed back down to her breasts, and gasped in delight as he took a peaked nipple into his mouth. He took his other hand and slowly traced the gun shaped birthmark just below her belly button, and hooked a finger into the hem of the lingerie she was wearing.

"Do it," she gasped. "Please. Just do it."

It was all the permission he needed, and he ripped the panties from her body, shredding the lace that held her most private of places hidden. Jason looked down at his lover, taking in her flushed body, the hickeys forming on the sides of her breasts and on her neck, her red hair splayed across the light blue sheets, the moonlight shining on her pale flesh from the glass walls, the quick and shallow breaths making her ample chest move in a way most appealing.

He became painfully aware of the tightness in his boxers, and sighed as he reached over to the night stand on the right, opening the drawer to retrieve a condom. As he put it on, he kept one hand on Rozalin's most sensitive area, keeping her aroused to the point of gasping.

"Are you sure you want this?" Jason stopped to ask her.

"Yes, Jason. I'm very sure." Rozalin looked him in the eye. "We may never get another chance to do this, and if we're doing this safe, we have to take this chance. I love you."

That was all he could take before he slowly entered her. She gasped in pain as he pushed past her virginal wall, and he paused as she tried to relax.

"Just let me know when I can start again. I don't want to hurt you." he worriedly looked at her tensed form. A few moments passed, and she started moving again.

"Now, we can continue." she moaned, and Jason felt a twinge deep in his core.

The two of them got used to each other's body, how they reacted, what made them moan, how they liked it. Fate seemed to favor Jason, as Rozalin cried out in ecstasy when he moved in a way that pleased him. He played rough, and she loved every moment of it. He pumped her mercilessly, and she groaned with pleasure, holding on to his shoulders, digging into his back with her nails, leaving red streaks on his body that marked him as hers. Their cries started to pick up the pace, and the muscles in Jason's body tightened in a way that no other activity ever had. His already tight abdominals constricted suddenly, and he groaned out low and needy as her walls closed hard around his member. She cried out loud and clear, his name filling the glass walled penthouse. Their orgasm lasted a few more minutes, prolonged by Jason's continuing of his actions, finding it erotic that the walls of Rozalin's place had kept spasming from his touch.

Finally he collapsed next to her, their breaths fast and gasping, the need for oxygen becoming apparent. He took in the sight of her sweating, flushed body, her heaving breasts from the gasps she was taking in, and the love in her eyes as she looked at him, and decided that he would love this woman forever.

"I love you, Rozalin," he smiled at her.

"I love you too, Jason." she smiled back as he pulled the covers over the two of them. "Let's get some sleep."

It was the best night's sleep Jason ever had.


	12. The final goodbye I never knew I gave

Eight thirty struck, and Jason woke to an empty bed in Bruce's penthouse on Finger and Fourth. Panic struck him until he heard the shower running, along with a female voice singing a sweet tune that he couldn't name.

"We're only liars, but we're the best, We're only good for the latest trends," she sang over the sound of the water.

Jason smiled at the sound of his lover's voice. Lover. Right, he had made love to her that night. He wondered if Bruce would ask about the now blood stained sheets, or if Alfred would let him quietly wash them. Alfred had made it clear to both Jason and Bruce that he would not wash anything with... certain body fluids on them. Jason blushed at the memory. He pulled back on his boxers, and went to the front door. Laying before it was the newspaper. He casually laid it on the breakfast table as he started a pot of coffee, a blend of some sort he couldn't name, and prepared omelets. He laid the hot dishes on the table, and poured two cups of cream filled coffee.

Rozalin entered, wearing nothing but a towel, her hair still wet and clinging to her shoulders. Jason was tempted to take her back to bed, but something on the newspaper caught his eye. He looked closer at the picture in the gossip section and almost choked on the coffee he was sipping.

There, on the front page, was Rozalin and Jason in the Halloween costumes looking cheerful, with the words 'engaged at seventeen?' underneath it. Rozalin glanced at it, and burst into laughter.

"They'll make up anything to get a headline, won't they?" she giggled, and Jason bristled at the thought.

"Whether or not we are engaged has nothing to do with them." he growled. "They have no business in that."

"Birdie, you need to relax. They'll retract the rumor once they figure out that we aren't engaged, and then they'll pick on someone else. Let's take a look at the crime section, shall we?" she rubbed his shoulder lovingly, and he did as she asked.

On the front page of the Crime section was a picture of Red Arrow and Mimic holding hands walking downtown, towards where the ball was. The look in their eyes made Jason wish he was married. They were in a blissful moment, as husband and wife, not as partners in fighting crime at the moment, and it looked perfect. The headline read underneath 'Love among the Heroes seen once again.' Apparently, this was not the first time the two had been caught in an affectionate moment. It warmed Jason's cynical heart to see the two happy. He really needed to keep in touch with those two.

The next week was filled with annoyances. Tabloids 'leaked' fake wedding plans between the two. Bruce teased Jason mercilessly about both the Halloween costumes and the 'engagement' that never happened. Mr. Jenkins was appalled by this, mostly because he didn't fully approve of Jason, and he had kicked Rozalin out. She had found a nice apartment on Gabriel Street, with arched windows and large rooms. Every other day they spent the day there, watching old movies and eating microwave popcorn. They would go out and meet Batman out in the city at night for crime fighting, and occasionally, Bruce would let him spend the night at her place.

But they had caught word of a drug operation over in Bosnia. Jason heard the name Todd dropped quietly. He realized that his mother was not dead. She was working overseas with the drug cartel there. He had to see her. But another thought had been crossing his mind as of late. The engagement ring he bought as a joke at first, became a weight he wanted to give to Rozalin in earnest. To make the fake engagement real. To propose to her. He had planned to do it right after they stopped the drug trafficking in Bosnia, when he still had the rush of a really good success in his veins. He didn't want to screw anything up by stammering or dropping the ring. He kept the ring in his pocket at all times, even when he was Robin. It was a white gold band with a diamond in the shape of a bird on it. Simple, yet classy, just like her.

He spent the last day in Gotham with her, helping her put away the last of her things. After they were done, they relaxed on the couch.

"Are you sure I can't come? I could help you," Rozalin asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"No. This is something I have to do with Batman. I hear Joker has something to do with it, and it's best not to be in Bruce's way when it comes to that guy. Besides, we need someone here to protect the city while we're gone. Ollie and Roy can't always drop what they're doing to save our asses." Jason laid a kiss upon her cheek as he got up to leave. "I've got to go. Bruce will be expecting me here pretty soon. I love you. Be safe. I'll be back soon."

"I love you too. You better come back in one piece, you hear me birdie? I'd be heartbroken if you came back with your wings clipped."

He smirked at her bad pun. "I'll be okay. Trust me, you'll be more than happy the next time you see me."

How could he have been so foolish?


	13. Loss of a good songbird

The mission had been like any other. Stop the bad guys, alert the authorities, go home. Just like normal. But it had taken a turn for the worse. Jason realized that a bit too late as he lay handcuffed on the cold concrete floor of the warehouse he was trapped in. His birth mother was bloody and broken nearby, but he could hear her ragged breathing. She was still alive. Good, he thought, he'll be able to turn her in for abduction. How could a woman sell her son to a known villain like Joker, and willingly, at that? What kind of sick person would do that? He had begun to lose faith in people, like he had already lost faith in God all those years ago in Crime Alley.

He considered his situation. He had been an idiot and went off on his own to find his birth mother. Bruce told him to wait, and Jason said he would be back in a moment. She led them to the beginning of the trap. Then he left Batman back at the pharmacy going after the Joker. Batman told him to wait, and Robin said he would handle this on his own. Great handling, he chided himself. Then he found his birth mother again, and she sold him out to the Joker. Then the Joker had handcuffed the two of them, and made him watch as he beat the woman senseless. He could still hear the deafening ring of her screams, but made himself focus. He needed to hear where the Joker was.

Pain blossomed on the side of his ribcage as the crowbar hit him. The wind was knocked out of him.

"That looked like it hurt." cackled the Joker. Another hit came, swiftly followed by another to his head. "Oh, wait. That looked like it hurt more." The Joker's sick laughter rang out loud and clear, churning the stomach acid in Jason's stomach. He convinced himself not to vomit. He couldn't do that here, where it would only hinder him further.

Several more blows were dealt with the crowbar, and Jason's legs kicked helplessly on the ground. He grunted in pain, quietly wishing the Joker to spontaneously drop dead. A particular blow to the head reminded him of the time when Rozalin hit her head on the baseboard of 'their' bed at her apartment. A tear formed in his eye, and he blinked it away. Face down on the floor, he thought of how angry she would be when he came home so battered and bruised. Poor Joker won't know what hit him, Jason considered laughing, but laughter just wouldn't come.

"I'm so sorry Rozalin, my wings are clipped." he whispered to himself, and Joker stopped for a moment.

"What? I couldn't hear you," Joker leaned down close to Jason, grabbing a handful of Jason's dyed black hair to lift his head. Jason spat blood on him, and Joker slammed his head back to the floor.

"Now that was just rude," Joker pulled out a handkerchief, wiping away the blood. "The first Robin at least knew how to act."

Jason turned his head so Joker could see, and gave him a sickingly bloody smile, showing off his devil may care attitude he was so known for. He could feel his collapsed lung fill with blood, along with the five cracked and broken ribs, the bruised vertebrae, the three concussions, and the sprained ankle. Somehow he knew things were going to get worse.

"Well, it's been fun. I probably had more fun than you, but anyways, remember to do your homework and be in bed by nine." Joker let out another bout of maniacal laughter as he brought up his fur lined jacket, then he left Jason there, inside of the warehouse.

Jason flipped over, dragging his handcuffed hands to his front, then tried to stand up. His legs were wobbly, and as he tried to take a first step, he fell. He heard his mother's breathing stop, and he gave up on her. There was no way he could save the both of them, and he had a feeling there would be no saving her. He still wasn't sure he could save himself. He dragged himself to the door, desperate to get out. To get home. To get to Rozalin. Rozalin. His angel. His bird. His love. He had to get to the door. Then he would wait outside for Bruce. He would be found, he had a tracking device in his boots. Only his boots were gone. He didn't remember them taking them. Why would he take them? Perhaps there was some glass somewhere in here they wanted him to step in. Bastards. He finally reached the handle of the rusted metal door, and tried to pull it, only to find it locked. Shit. Well, he still had a few options here. He could wait inside for Bruce, and be saved. He could craw back to his mother and try to revive her. He could try and exhaust the last of his strength to break down the door, however unlikely that was.

That was when he noticed the beeping. It was quiet, steady, sure, like a... timer... Jason looked around slowly, and found the large time bomb counting down. It was at eight seconds. He took it that he wasn't meant to be saved. That was alright. He could die. But if they ever hurt Rozalin, he would haunt the shit out of the Joker. He tried to put on a brave face for his fate, but inside, he wept for Rozalin. She would hate him for dying and leaving her again. As the bomb reached the final two seconds, he heard Batman's motorcycle, and said his last words.

"I'm sorry Rozalin. I'm sorry."

Tick. Boom. Silence.

Author's note: I'm sorry if it doesn't meet up exactly with the movie or the comics, but I mixed the two for this result. I know, it's sad, but it's not as bad as it gets. Of course, I could have just ended it here, but I'm not quite through with you reader(s). I actually finished typing the entire story, and I'm debating on which sequel to do first: Kid Flash/Jinx (which will be in Young Justice if you want to find it) or Red Arrow(Roy Harper)/Mimic(Gloria Zimmereich) (also in Young Justice section). Btw, for those who haven't figured this out, I don't own any of the actual DC characters, only the ones I made up, which you know aren't in there. I only put this up once a story, so don't ask for it again! Also, kinda weird that the worst chapter is number 13? O.e


	14. Sorrowful Song of the Hellbird

"Bruce and I tracked down this weirdo in a Red Hood getup. He could slice through Bruce's cords before they went taut. And Bruce said 'thank you.' Which was beyond weird."

"What?" Rozalin racked her brain for who the Red Hood was, and gasped. "Joker's out?"

"That's just the thing. He's locked up tight in Arkham. Bruce and I are gonna look into that. Sorry you can't come, it's just with all the assassination attempts..."

"I know. I make the security jumpy. That's fine. I'll do some research on the streets. Find out who's got the drug cartels under control. They've been avoiding kids tonight. They always go for the kids, so it's got me thinking. Maybe it's this Red Hood guy you're after?" Rozalin strode over to the closet she designated for all the Cardinal gear, including the guns, grenades, knives, tazers, whips, daggers, and grappling hooks.

Her costume had developed over the years into a sexualized version of what it once was. The red fishnet shirt was even tighter than it used to be, stretching over her now fully developed breasts. She had adopted a more sharp edge, her thick heels now stiletto thigh high boots, over red fishnet stockings tucked into black leather short shorts, with a utility belt draped over. She kept the black leather pants for cold nights, but on nights like this, with the warm breezes, she liked the shorts. The leather jacket stayed, though. It was her signature piece.

"I'll want information as you get it, Dick," she called over her shoulder as she jumped from her apartment window.

"Crazy demented bitch," Dick sighed and went home, where Kori was waiting for him.

Rozalin was at peace. Well, not at peace, exactly, but as close to content as she could get. The quiet of the city under her watch was comforting. When the criminals knew she was on the streets, they made a point not to be, which was fine by her. But it left those stragglers who did go out awfully unprotected. She had been favoring a dull blade lately, a gift from her newly given inheritance from her newly dead father. The one good person genetically linked to her, who had been rotting in jail on false charges for the past two decades, covering for her horrible mother. She used the blade on her first. Bruce never did find out who killed her, and she sure as hell wasn't going to say. Neither was Dick. Dick knew how unhinged she had become after the loss of Jason, especially after Bruce showed her the ring. He knew how much of a criminal she had become, and didn't want to upset her further. It wasn't as if they could put her in Arkham Asylum. She had tried to kill one of their patients over three times, all within their walls. She was a dangerous woman now, one who didn't trust anyone, anything, or any thought that passed through her own head. She was a basket case without her rebellious Robin.

What she didn't realize was that someone was watching her. She had become too relaxed, and hadn't noticed the figure in the shadows, observing her every move. She was too preoccupied with the goings on below, where a rapist was about to catch his prey. Rozalin thought of her own experiences after Jason's incident, her own molestation by the hands of Black Mask, and her blood boiled, violent and vengeful. She pulled out the dull blade and landed onto the ground as quiet as a jaguar, stealthily making her way to the creep. The woman under him was crying silent tears, already resigned to her fate, but she gasped when the man was pulled from her half clothed body and thrown down. She saw a young woman with red hair and a red pointed mask scowling at her. She tapped her stiletto thigh high boots at the woman.

"Go!" she barked. "And don't call the police until the clock strikes one. I'll take care of this."

The woman scrambled to get away, and Cardinal turned to the rapist. He was scruffy, with a patchy beard and wild eyes. She could see him calculating how to get her as well. She smirked at the man as she pulled the blade into his view, watching his face melt into a fearful plea. The cries fell on deaf ears.

"You," she growled as she slammed the blade into him. "You! For your crimes against the human race, you abhorrent, disgusting dreg of society, you will die!" Her screams became howls as they mixed with the rapists' cries of pain. Blood spattered across the alleyway walls, the ground, and on Cardinal's face, painting it red to match all the red already on her. She looked like something Hell itself rejected for its crimes, and that was just the way she liked it.

The battered, lifeless rapist finally went through the final twitches of death, and she stood above him, watching with satisfaction. This was what she now lived for. To kill those who wouldn't repent, or regret, or care enough to pay for what they did. It both sickened and delighted her that she had become this. She spat upon the man's body, and strode away.

"Filthy molesting bastard."

The man with the red mask watched her closely. As she walked away, a confident sway affected her hips, making her arousing to watch. But the brutality of her, the fact that she was covered in the blood of the man she just killed, the fact that she had given him no mercy, no chance to serve a sentence in jail, made her both perfectly suited to him, and saddened him. Where was the Cardinal he had known so long ago, who had only smashed in faces? Where was the Rozalin he had loved those years ago?

_ It had been years since Jason had seen his family. And what he saw did not please him. Bruce and Dick were the same as always, fighting crime, but not preventing it. Being the servants of Gotham, instead of guardians. And Rozalin... his beautiful Rozalin. The thought of her tore at him. She had become much less than innocent, killing without hesitation. Brutally murdering the murderers. Being exactly what he was, only mixing it with Bruce's ways and being a reaction. However, she had the effect of preventing crime by watching and letting criminals know when she was. She used examples from her other works of justice. In short, he had seen her go completely insane. He knew that his death had done this to her. She wouldn't have had to become this harsh if he was there.

In fact, if he hadn't had died, they would be married, perhaps looking towards a child. That was what hurt the most. Seeing what could have been and knowing it would never end that way. How would she ever become lucid enough to give up this violent lifestyle? Heaven knows he couldn't. Not even death kept him from killing, or crime fighting, or hating...

He had the drug dealers under his thumb now. And he had let Bruce know who he was with a vital clue: his knowledge of Bruce, along with his blood on a sword that an adversary had left behind. He had left it with Bruce, knowing he would look into it. After all, Bruce was the damn Batman, and the damn Batman got the job done, never halfway doing anything. He just prayed that Rozalin would forgive him for being gone for so long.

Rozalin. Jason came back to his original train of thought. He watched her strut towards Gabriel Street. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, which wasn't as easy as he and other vigilantes made it seem, following her all the while. He had to be awfully careful, and land quietly on his toes. His combat boots were sure to alert her of his presence if he didn't land correctly. He noticed she entered the apartment they had lived together in. A light pain crossed his heart as he saw that she hadn't gotten rid of any of his things that he had left there. He spied his old cologne bottle still on the vanity by the bathroom, free of dust, but still exactly as he left it.

She was visible through the floor to ceiling windows, and as she stripped off her leather jacket, he noticed she had invested in a red sports bra. Well, tape wouldn't do it anymore, he reasoned, since she had probably twice the volume of breast to fill the tight red fishnet shirt these days. He grew annoyed at his own arousal. This was not the time to be a pervert, this was the time to be a man and own up to his absence. No doubt she would be pissed when she figured out that he was the Red Hood that had been eluding her for the past three weeks. He was still surprised Batman had found him three days ago. He must have been getting slow in his comfort zone, or perhaps his age was finally getting to him? Jason dismissed that. Bruce just didn't get old. He would be seventy three before he got a good wrinkle in his face, Jason mused mentally. Must have been all the exercise.

Jason snickered to himself as he pushed the sixteenth floor's button on the elevator. He was going to get her to forgive him the old fashioned way. By scaring the shit out of her, then seduce her until she forgave him. He highly doubted it would work, but it was worth a shot.


	15. not a cold, just being a creeper

Bruce was still shocked at the DNA match results. He had stared at them for over an hour now, but the bright red 'match' never stopped flashing above the two pictures. One was of his new local outlaw, who had brutally murdered people to meet his own goals, the Red Hood, the other of his second Robin, Jason Todd. After all this time, he had thought that Jason was dead. He still believed it. There was no way that Jason could be alive. He had dropped the body off at the U.S. Embassy himself. He had arranged the funeral himself. He had held the useless engagement ring himself.

Nightwing had chosen that moment to come in, and whistled low at the computer screen. Richard Grayson was never one for tact on delicate situations, and Bruce reigned himself in. He couldn't bring himself to snap at his first Robin, not on something as shocking as this.

"What do we do now?" Dick asked, peeling his mask off and dragging a hand trough his short black hair. He rested his crutches on the control panel and plopped into a nearby chair. Again, straight to the point as ever.

"It doesn't change anything. Jason is now a criminal. We have to bring him to justice. No matter the cost." Bruce growled.

"Your doing the Batman growl again," Dick pointed out, then changed back to the original topic. "How do we explain this to Rozalin? You know she won't be happy."

"Simple." Bruce cleared his throat, noticing the growl Dick had so nicely pointed out. "We don't."

"But that'll destroy her!" Dick sat up straight in the chair, knocking the crutches from their balance, and they clattered to the floor of the cave, the echoes bouncing off the walls.

"We have no choice. Rozalin is unbalanced as it is. If we tell her this, there is no telling what she will do. She's already close to his level of brutality. If she snaps, we'll have to send her to Blackgate Prison. Or worse." Bruce didn't want to think about it, but the image of putting her down flashed across his conscience. It sickened him, but he was running out of options.

"You do know she's out there looking for the Red Hood. You know she'll find out. You just don't want to be the one to tell her." Dick accused, and it destroyed what little patience Bruce had left.

"Do you want to? Do _you_ want to be the one to destroy the one little piece of the girl we once knew? The small part of her that kept her sane?" Bruce snapped.

"You know she's not sane anymore. None of us are." Dick picked up his crutches and made to leave. "You forget what she was losing. She didn't just lose Jason. She lost all hope and future to the Joker. And after he had that, Black Mask took the rest. He violated her in ways that would break anyone's sense of morals."

Rozalin's shower was hot and steamy. It had to be hot enough to give her first degree burns, turning the skin bright red. That way, she could ignore all the red washing off her body and down the drain. She felt no remorse for what she did. She never did. But tonight something was off. Something felt right in her head. She sensed a presence that she knew wasn't there. Jason was dead. No question about it. She had seen his body in the coffin. She remembered sleeping next to the grave on Thursdays, waking up in her bed when Dick found her and brought her home. He never replaced Jason in her heart, but she would admit to sleeping with him casually a couple of times. But that was only because she knew that Koriand'r had been cheating on him, and he knew it, too. She didn't regret it either. She needed to feel like she was a woman, and not a monster. Dick needed to feel like a man, and not a doormat. But if she ever had the chance to have Jason again, well, Dick was on his own. All the times they had made love had always left her breathless. And Dick didn't. He was adequate at best.

She thought about those green eyes that would project love onto her when Jason wasn't saying it. He had always loved her, and she had always loved him. The empty hole that his absence had given her never went away, but now the edges of the wound were starting to scab over. She had accepted that she would never be a wife. Perhaps she could be a mother, but she knew she would be an unfit one without counseling. And nothing screamed unfit mother like counseling. She sighed as she lathered her long red hair. She had been debating if she should chop it all off, start with a fresh look. But her conscience told her Jason would not have liked that. She recalled all too often how he would run his fingers through it and say how silky it was, how pretty it was, how shiny it was, how much he liked it...

Rozalin had to shake away the thought. Too often she had been thinking about him. It was turning her mind to mush, and she had no use of emotions like that. It was dangerous to focus on loss like that. It made you see things, go loopy with grief. She raised her head when she heard the bathroom door quietly open.

"Dick, I'm in here, get out. You know I hate it when you decide to come over uninvited. Not that you're ever invited..." she growled. She rinsed her hair out, and decided to make him feel awkward. Hopefully he would leave then. "So how do you think I should update my look? I'm thinking about cutting off all this hair. It's getting in the way, and I think it would be good to leave by Jason's grave. He liked it well enough, and I'm sure he would like it more than I do."

"No, don't do that. He liked it on your head, and that's where it should stay." a voice came from somewhere around the vanity mirror, but Rozalin thought it sounded a bit off.

"Dick, do you have a cold? You sound a bit different." she queried, and the sound of clothes dropping to the floor came soon after. "Dick? You there?"

"No," the voice came again, just behind her, hot breath blowing across her neck. "He's not. Why would he when I'm here?"


	16. making a future mother quit

Perhaps sneaking into Rozalin's shower hadn't been Jason's best idea. Instead of realizing who he was and leaping into his arms, Rozalin had panicked and clocked him good in the face. He crumpled onto the floor of the shower.

"Dammit. That really hurt, Sweet Pea," Jason used his pet name for her, hoping she would recognize him. The years had no doubt changed him, but that hope was still there.

"Pervert!" she didn't yell, but it was an accusation none the less. And it was true; Jason was staring quite openly at her exposed body, and his arousal was very apparent. "Who are you?"

"You would think that your lover would remember you, even after five years." Jason growled as he stood up once more. "What's all this about Dick?"

"He comes over to help me with leads," Rozalin responded automatically. "And what do you mean 'lover'? My lover has been dead for-"

"-Five years. Exactly." Jason looked her in the eye, and saw the pain suddenly etched into those ice blue eyes he had envisioned for so long. "I came back. I told you I would."

"Jason?" uncertainty laced her words, and he realized he had seriously damaged her. "How?"

"The Lazerus Pit." Jason explained. "That's not important. What matters is that I'm here now. We can still be okay. I'm here for you now."

He hugged her close, and she melted in his arms. She saw the message in his eyes. Those beautiful green eyes. They had said 'I love you.' That had been the thing she had missed most. Tears fell down her cheeks and mixed with the shower's water that fell upon the naked couple. It wasn't until they started sliding against each other from the wetness of their skin that they realized it, but they didn't care.

Jason kissed her gently, and tangled his fingers in the wet curls of her hair. God, had he missed those lips. They melted perfectly against his, and he angled her head to deepen their kiss. A breathy moan escaped her lips, and he had the urge to make her repeat it. He slid his other hand up the curve of her back, stopping at the side of her breast. His thumb rubbed against the already beaded and rock hard nipple there, and the moan was more insistent. His own arousal came into play when his member decided to become known, semi- aroused, but still there. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and he noticed how little she had grown. He had become a full six foot six inches, while she stayed at five foot six inches. But her volume spoke more of her physical maturity. In earlier times, her breasts had been a good handful each, but now they were even larger, around a thirty eight double D, if he was guessing. Her hips had widened a bit, perfect for child rearing, connecting to fit slim thighs and strong calves. Her ankles weren't as dainty, probably from all the work they did, but it suited her. It made her large size ten and one- half shoe sized feet look in proportion.

One of those shapely legs wrapped around his waist, and Jason groaned with his own sexual tension. She tightened her grip on him, and her breasts rubbed against his hard chest, letting him feel how much she needed this. He slammed her against the shower wall, and started kissing her everywhere he could. He made his way down and started kissing her nipples, eliciting quick pants from Rozalin. Then he decided this was going to get rough, and he sucked on it, pulling on it with his mouth. They both knew it was going to bruise with so much abuse, but neither cared, and he repeated the action on the other breast. His free hand went down to her crotch, and he cupped her womanhood.

"Do it," Rozalin panted. "Please."

"Do what, Sweet Pea? I need to know what you want." Jason licked her already bruising nipples, and she whined with wanton need.

"Jason, I," she panted, "I need you to fill me."

"Will do," Jason replied, smirking as he lined up. "But first answer me something."

"What?" she seemed exasperated and desperate. Good.

"Will you give up being Cardinal?" Jason cut to the chase. He wasn't sure he could last through a whole argument, and he was just as lustful as she was.

"I can't like this," Rozalin answered. "I've nothing to quit for."

"What if you became a mother? Would you quit then?" Jason pressed. This was where he was afraid of losing her.

"Of course I would!" she exclaimed. "But that can't happen. I gave that dream up when you died."

"But I'm here now." Jason reminded her by rubbing his member against her womanhood. "And now we can be parents. We can do this, Rozalin. I just need to get Gotham behind me, and then we can go somewhere, start fresh. Start a family. Doesn't that sound perfect?"

"It does. But how do you get Gotham behind you?" Rozalin cocked her head to the side.

"By leaving it to Batman. I don't need to compete with all the other heroes in here. We can be a happy family somewhere far from here. Maybe near the mountains. Mountains sound nice."

"I'm not leaving until I have to," Rozalin steeled her gaze, and Jason came up with a perfect solution.

"Then I'll make you." Jason inserted himself in her, not able to take any more distractions. She gasped in his sudden girth within her. He was much bigger than the last time that they had made love.

"You said if you were a mother you would quit. Well, I'll just have to make you a mother."

"Don't you dare," Rozalin warned, but gasped as he hilted his manhood within her, nine inches in.

"I dare," he grunted, and started the age old dance of making love, careful to make her moan as much as possible. She cried out at his slow pace.

"Faster," she gasped. It was all she could get out before the pace increased, his force so intense, it slammed her against the wall when he pushed back in.

The hot coil in the core of her body suddenly snapped, and Rozalin orgasmed. Jason smirked at her. She was just as lovely as he remembered, if not more so. He kept at it though, not letting her regain any composure before bringing her back to the edge.

"Scream my name. I want everyone in Gotham to know I'm back," Jason growled in her ear, and she whimpered in delight as he swirled his hips, sending shock waves of pleasure through her.

"Jason," she whispered, and he groaned at the reverence she gave his name.

"Louder," he ordered, and she responded with a quiet "Jason." in return.

"I want all of Gotham to hear you scream," Jason went a bit faster to get his point across. He wasn't far off now, and he wanted her to announce his arrival to the world.

"Jason!" Rozalin said louder. "Jason! Oh, God, JASON TODD!"

Her release sent shivers down their bodies, and her walls closed tightly around him, and triggered his own explosive release. He moaned her name long and deep, reverberating off the shower walls, and stayed as still as he could, his member pulsing inside her, spilling his seed within her. They stayed that way for a few minutes, gasping for air, and looked each other in the eye.

"I missed you," Rozalin gasped.

"I missed you, too." Jason smirked down at her flushed body. "Do you want to finish your shower, or shall we move this into our room?"

They repeated their actions for four more hours, until they passed out from exhaustion.


	17. Father Jason Todd's difference

Jason had truly missed waking up with Rozalin in his arms. He was glad that he would be getting a lot more of it once he threw Batman off his scent and they hightailed it out of Gotham. The thought of the mountains kept coming to him, and he started thinking. Perhaps North Carolina? They had some nice mountains, and a lack of crime, so the lack of temptation was there...

Rozalin nuzzled deeper into his chest, a sigh of contentment coming from her lips. He smiled genuinely for the first time in five years. She had recovered from insanity nicely, and just from his being there. That was reassuring to him. Now all that needed to happen was either fake the Red Hood's death, find a team, or kill the Joker, and then the way would be clear. He had heard of some formation of a group from Koriand'r, Dick's wife, and Red Arrow, or Roy Harper, as he remembered from a conversation years past. He wondered how his strange wife was. Hopefully that third kid was alright. Was it normal to have such relaxed thoughts? He hadn't had a free thought in five years.

He cleared his head of those thoughts, and returned to plotting his revenge or escape from Gotham. He knew that Black Mask had broken Joker out of Arkham. No doubt it would backfire on him. Jason was tempted to just let them kill each other and save himself some work. But then it wouldn't have had the same feeling of satisfaction. And it didn't include Batman, so no one would know it was him who did it, or his reasons. He would spare Black Mask, but only so he could get Joker. He wrote his plot down on a pad of paper on the nearby writing desk, trying to organize his thoughts. Once he was finished, he sat back and really looked at it. Then he heard Rozalin awaken, stretching her muscles out in a way she hadn't done in years. He also heard the pops and cracks of her spine, and inwardly cringed.

She rolled out of bed and padded over to him, reading over his shoulder with bleary eyes, and stiffened when the names Black Mask and Joker came up. "What are you doing?"

"Planning revenge," Jason lazily answered. He looked up to find her focused intently at Black Mask's name. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes. In your plot, you save Black Mask." Rozalin murmured sadly. Tears formed in her eyes. "You have opportunity to kill him, and you are going to save his worthless hide."

"Sweet Pea, what is going on?" Jason stood up from his chair and hugged her close. "What happened while I was away?"

"You don't know?" Rozalin squeaked from his chest. "After you died, Joker caught me, too. He chained me in a cellar of some warehouse for three days. He sold me to Black Mask, and Batman never came. Black Mask used me for... things."

"What kind of things?" Jason didn't like where this was going, and he feared that he was in need of a new plan, a plan involving torture and murder of one Black Mask.

"At first it was to steal things and get rid of rival gang leaders. Then it was to be a bodyguard. Then..." Rozalin shivered with disgust. "It was to be a consort. He would lock me in a room for days, then come in, rape me, and be on his merry way. It was six months before Dick could find me and save me. Batman never did come. Dick said he didn't have time to, what with the crime picking up in Crime Alley. But Bruce and I never got along after that."

"That's unforgivable." Jason squeezed her tight, thinking of how different things would have been if he hadn't followed Joker or his mother.

"I know, but it's fine." Rozalin didn't meet his piercing gaze. "It'll be over once we get out of this God forsaken place."

It was mid afternoon in Gotham, and Jason was still pondering those words. 'God forsaken place.' They reminded him of an adventure during his years in hiding, where he had gone to different dimensions even, just to find himself. He knew that something terrible was happening to Rozalin when he really had met himself. Father Jason Todd was exactly like him, only with a more forgiving attitude. He had come back to life, and instead of waiting five years, he had come back to find Rozalin being tortured by Black Mask. He had been too late, and Black Mask killed her. But instead of getting revenge, Father Todd became a priest. Jason himself had toyed with the idea when he had first come back to life, doubting that Rozalin would take kindly to his return, but in the end rejected the idea. He was too bloodthirsty to do such a pacifist move. That revelation turned him in a very different direction. To wait killed Jason, but he knew if he had returned straight away, Rozalin would have been killed. He had to have faith in Dick to fill in for him, and that waiting paid off in the end. She was worse for wear, but Rozalin was alive, and that was what mattered to Jason. He was also aware of Dick sleeping with her multiple times, as alternate versions of himself caught them in bed together, but he had the self-restraint to forgive her and let it go. In fact, he tried to forget that tidbit of information for the sake of the relationship. He was supposed to be dead, after all. He did the same thing. And Koriand'r neglected to disclose just who she was sleeping with, since he had asked.

But the thought still disturbed him, that she had gone through so much, had overcome so many problems, withstood so many obstacles. He still felt he should have been there. He should have done something. And even though he couldn't do anything for her then, he sure as hell was going to do something for her now. He was going to leave Black Mask for her, and let her have one more night of bloody revenge.

Jason looked at the polluted sky. Just a few more hours, and they would leave Gotham and Batman in a whirl of explosions, revenge, and poetic justice.


	18. Cardinals and Robins never sing together

Things were going just as he had planned. Joker had betrayed Black Mask, and was about to light the bastard aflame along with his henchmen in a truck on a bridge, covered in gasoline. Jason saw that as the moment to introduce himself, as the Red Hood, to its original owner.

"You know, when I wore that number, it was more Madre D than biker fetish. Kids these days..." Joker was giving _him_ crap about his outfit?

Jason suppressed a chuckle. At least his Red Hood getup was practical, what with its thick leather and oh so many pockets full of knives, guns, grenades, tazers, ammunition, tear gas, and other diabolical weapons. He had a machete somewhere on him, but he couldn't remember exactly where. He would be careful to find it before he sat down... Joker's was just an ugly purple suit. He hadn't changed a bit in the five years he'd been gone. Probably because he had been in Arkham for most of those years...

Joker had finally lit Black Mask on fire, and Batman was seen in the corner of Jason's vision, in some Bat-themed jet contraption with a fire extinguisher, saving a few pointless dregs of society with it. A rope with a hook caught Joker, and the Bat-whatever started pulling him in the direction of the Police Station. But Jason wasn't about to let his one chance at revenge pass him by. He caught the rope as it passed by, cutting the line, and letting he and the Joker fall into the harbor next to the bridge. All the pieces where about to fall into place. Batman would know where to find him. He always did.

Rozalin was ecstatic. She was going to enjoy this so very much. The Police had been stupid to leave Black Mask alone in the Police Processing Station. It was so nice and isolated from the rest of the station, she had no problem sneaking in as Cardinal. She silently slipped into the pitch black room, without even creaking the door with its rusted hinges. Someone had to fix that, she mused silently. After all, that was one of the most used rooms in Gotham, the crime rate was so high.

"Who's there?" Black Mask's senses picked up Cardinal's presence. "Show yourself."

"I don't think I will, if it's all the same to you, sir." Cardinal's silky voice had no waver in it, like when he had her tied to the bed. No, this time, it was much more alluring, and more dangerous to boot. Black Mask didn't like where this was going.

"Cardinal. How good it is to see you. Coming for a kiss for old times' sake?" Black Mask joked, but he earned a open handed slap for it.

"No, I came for my goodbye present." Cardinal smiled, and her ruby red lipstick shined against the light filtering through the window blinds, thanks to a passing car. "I came to kill you."

Black Mask didn't seem too upset. "I should've seen this one coming. Break a bad bird out, and she'll come back to peck the one who caged her. Maybe that's why you never cage a Robin with a Cardinal."

She sliced him deep with the dull blade, and he groaned in pain. Sucking in a breath through his teeth, he kept talking.

"They never sing together, because they won't be able to leave one another if they have the opportunity to, and they will love each other all the more for it. Tell Red Hood to step off my territory, will you?" He laughed slowly, and she stabbed him again. "Maybe not. Alright, just tell me this. Why would Nightwing bother breaking a bad birdie like you out? You two never had a thing."

"No, but the last Robin and I did. He was looking out for the last birdie, and the one he left behind." she sneered as she pulled out the barretta. It was better to end it how her killing began. She turned off the safety, pulled back the hammer, and aimed carefully at his face. "I'll send Red Hood your regards."

Bang. Done. It was over. Finally over.

Things hadn't ended the way Jason hoped they would have. Sure, Batman showed up in the place it all began, and yes, he followed Jason to the crummy apartment he had grown up in years ago, and he even listened to Jason's proclamations of why he had done all of this. He even cared enough to tell Jason to not shoot and kill Joker. But that was all there was. Words. When Jason had reached the breaking point, Bruce stopped him with a Batarang, and the gun exploded in Jason's hand.

That was all well and good, but now Jason had a choice to make. Should he let Bruce take him in, or should he act out plan B? With plan B, he would leave Gotham with Rozalin and join others at the city limits of Bludhaven to draw up plans for the future. But if he let Bruce take him in, he would not be leaving, and he would watch Rozalin suffer as she waited for him outside of prison bars, or worse, the glass walls of Arkham Asylum, where he knew deep down he would belong.

Plan B it was. He decided to go out with the way he left Bruce last time, a time bomb. That was where the poetic justice came in. Especially since he had already beaten Joker with a crowbar. The irony was delicious and filled his system with sick adrenaline. The timer was already down to the last few seconds. He felt the shock wave as it blew him across the building. He had already died, and he wasn't sure if he could do it again, but he did know that this wasn't how he was going to go again. He leapt out of the shattered and abused window nearby. Let Bruce think he was dead, or at least that he was in hiding. Maybe he would come back one day. Until then, it was goodbye Gotham City, and goodbye Bruce Wayne. He wasn't sorry in the least when he heard Batman's anguished cries for him. He did feel the bite of anger when he heard the Joker's laughs. Damn, he had hoped that he had died in the explosion. But of course he didn't. That kind of crazy would need a bullet to the face, as he had originally planned. Jason accepted it and moved on, and in the pre-dawn light, he came back to Gabriel Street.


	19. Flying on to new beginnings and epilogue

They had packed their things ahead of time, and Rozalin even thought to leave a note for Dick, the thoughtful girl she was. It said how sorry she was for keeping secrets from him, and how she was leaving with Jason. To not follow them, and that she wished the best for him. Jason just didn't like him enough to bother, but did add that he was grateful that Dick saved Rozalin all that time ago. He also told him that he wasn't sorry for being so violent, but he would try to cut back a little, which was a lie, but it made him feel better, like a New Year's resolution you know you never keep for more than a week.

As they approached Bludhaven's city limits, they found Koriand'r, Dick's now apparent ex-wife, as she had filed the divorce papers last week, the Harper family, and curiously enough, the Flash and Jinx, who had hugged Mimic, or Gloria Harper, tightly.

Jason spied the two boys from years ago, now around ten years old, and a little girl who was around five years old. They all had coppery red hair in varying shades, but the boys had blue eyes with pink rings, and the girl had chocolate brown eyes with a pink ring. The Flash rubbed their hair affectionately, and bent down to talk to them.

"I'll miss you guys. Take care of your mommy and daddy for me, okay? I can't have your Aunt Jenny mad at me for letting you guys go and getting hurt."

"We will. I'll miss you Uncle Wally," the little girl wrapped her arms around the Flash's neck. The boys hesitantly followed suit, and Gloria walked over to them.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes. We are," Jason nodded, taking Rozalin's hand in his.

"Great," Koriand'r and Roy joined them.

"Welcome to the Outlaws."

All of the memories brought Jason to this point in his life. He was sitting in a plastic chair, just outside of the hospital room, with a red headed little girl in his lap.

"Daddy, is Mommy gonna be okay?" she looked up at him with her wide green eyes, so much like his own.

"Yes, Kitten, she'll be fine. This isn't the first time she's done this, you know." Jason smiled down at his five year old daughter. She was the reason that Jason and Rozalin had left the Outlaws a mere two years after joining the group, though they kept in touch. And now he was sitting there, comforting her while her mother's moans were heard through the door. "I have to go check on her now. You wait here, okay? I'll be right back."

"Okay Daddy. But make sure that the birdie flies okay," she looked at him sternly, using the code that she grew up hearing between her parents. He smiled at the little girl, so much like her mother, but the spitting image of him.

He opened the door just in time to hear Rozalin scream in pain. God, five hours in and she was still in the first stage. She had refused the medication, but it was too late to go back now. She was so royally screwed.

"This is your fault!" she screeched at him, clutching the white sheets on the bed.

"Just as much as it is yours. You're the one who said you wanted another." Jason kissed her sweaty forehead and rubbed her swollen belly. "The doctor said it wouldn't be long now. Have some patience."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have a dilating cervix." Rozalin glared at him, and he chuckled.

"Come on, admit it. You've suffered so much worse. As I recall, a year ago you were here with five cracked ribs, a broken collar bone, crushed solar plexus, and a snapped femur from a bad fall off the tower. That's why we reinforced the grappling hooks, remember? Five weeks in the hospital, and six more on bed rest. Crime rates went up ten percent." Jason smirked as the memory replayed. She hated being sick, or worse, helpless. But he did love playing doctor, so he enjoyed caring for her, even more than fighting crime. He guessed that was what seven years of marriage did to a person.

The nurse came in and unceremoniously slipped a hand under the sheet, eliciting a startle from Rozalin, to which Jason chuckled.

"It's time to go, are you ready?" the nurse asked, smiling in anticipation.

"As I'll ever be," Rozalin huffed, and grabbed Jason's hand. "You're staying here and watching this. You're going to see what you did to me, you stubborn birdie."

"At least my wings aren't clipped like yours are going to be for the next year. Maternity leave doesn't extend to the father, and I've got to keep this place safe for the four of us." Jason was referring to both his S.W.A.T. team job, and his job as Red Hood, who watched over the small city they now lived in on the east coast with their daughter, Kathleen Todd. And soon, with their son, whom they had yet to name.

Thirty minutes of second stage labor had Jason finding himself passed out on the floor, which baffled him. He had seen countless unspeakable horrors, yet childbirth is the thing that makes him drop like a sack of potatoes? He had gained consciousness just in time to hear his son's first sounds, and never had a sound been so sweet. He held the small bundle the nurse handed to him, and took note of the ice blue eyes and tuft of coppery red hair. He had Jason's smirk already, and Jason knew his son was going to be a handful. He bent over to show Rozalin, who was tired and happy to see the small person she had carried for so long.

"What should we name him?" Rozalin asked quietly.

Jason thought for a moment, debating between two male names that held great meaning to him, and chose the most fitting.

"Bruce. Bruce Richard Todd." he looked at her smile of approval.

"Let's introduce him to his older sister, shall we?" the antiheroes looked at each other. "We can all sing together now. We just won't share the sound is all."

_ The End

Author's note: there shall be two sequels to this: one is about Roy Harper/Red Arrow and his earlier mentioned strange wife Gloria/Mimic, who was given her hero name by Imaninja41, and the other is of Kid Flash/Wally West and Jinx (who I brought in from Teen Titans into the Young Justice world)/Jennifer Heinrich.

The next one you will see is between Roy Harper/Red Arrow and Gloria Heinrich/Mimic (thanks for the hero alias Imaninja41), and these two stories will both be in the Young Justice database here. Both will contain the scenes in this story where they are seen, including the formation of the Outlaws. I am debating on wether or not to write another where they all come together again to save the children they have, but I'm leaving that to popular choice, because I'm also doing a Harry Potter story, and my Alice in Wonderland story, and I'm coming out with my Hellboy story, 'The Dreaming,' which I have been writing and revising for five long years. This is honestly the first story I have completed, and I am proud of it, though I wish I could make it longer without making it boring. There simply is too much time in which they are separated that would draw away the romance and horror of it. However, I am not against doing a bit of deleted scene posting, if I can find them... Fairfarren,

HightoppsMadness ^U^


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